The woman was pronounced dead after falling almost 100ft just after 10.30am, with City of London Police saying the death is not being treated as suspicious.

A police spokesman said: “St Paul’s Cathedral is currently closed and it due to remain closed for the rest of the afternoon. after a woman fell from inside the building and died.”

Employees and tourists were left “shocked” by the incident, according to a statement by St Paul’s Cathedral, and an Annual National Service for Seafarers at 5pm has been cancelled.

A statement on the cathedral website said: “Although robust procedures for emergency situations are in place at St Paul’s and today’s response bore that out, it does not lessen the shock we feel as a close community, especially for those of us who witnessed and responded to this incident. We hold also in our thoughts those visitors within the Cathedral at the time.

“We think and pray especially at this time for the woman who died, and for all those who were close to her and who loved and cared for her.